


Homeward Bound

by Marshmallow_Mel



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: But he's also disgusted, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I am pining for this man and you bitches are coming with me, Johnny is rooting for them, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, This is gonna hurt and I'm sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:21:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29768556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marshmallow_Mel/pseuds/Marshmallow_Mel
Summary: After losing Scorpion, Mitch is probably the only person who truly understands what V is going through. But V is dying and it isn't fair knowing that her death will only add to his grief. But she cannot deny the way his blue eyes make her heart soar... What's a girl to do?
Relationships: Mitch Anderson/Female V, Mitch Anderson/V (Cyberpunk 2077)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 25





	Homeward Bound

V woke to the shrill sound of her ringtone, spurring her morning migraine into overdrive. She'd have normally ignored it, but the fact that Panam was calling her at 5am sent a wave of dread crashing through her body. “Where's the fire?”

“V, I could probably use your help.” Her shoulders were drawn tight and there was a strain to her voice; she almost sounded scared. That alone was enough to pull her out of her sleep ridden stupor.

“Probably?” She was never too tired for a bit of sarcasm.

“Okay, fine. I could really use your help.” Despite her anxiety, the indignation crept onto her face.

“Just tell me when and where.”

Relief washed over her face in an instant. “You don't know how good it is to hear that. The Aldecaldos camp. Quick as you can.”

“Course. Pants first. Be there in an hour.” The call window closed and V stumbled out of bed, her vision glitching with streaks of blue, the dull throbbing at the base of her skull unrelenting. “Fuck.”

The migraine had started to subside by the time she made it to the armory. She leaned heavily against one of the walls, taking a moment to breathe deeply as Johnny perched on one of her workbenches, peering at her over his aviators.  _ What happened to pants first? _

She shushed him, getting to work taking stock of ammo, pulling what she may need from shelves and lockers, and throwing it all haphazardly into her bag. It was a meticulous process, she knew, but it was the only thing she put so much care into. It was also the only thing she really felt she could control in her life, so it became her ritual.

She finished packing in record time, moving around the cramped room with practiced precision only a seasoned mercenary can have. Johnny watched from his perch, amused by the determined flurry of equipment hitting the bag with a  _ whump _ . Finally moving her attention to her closet, she picked out a sweater and overalls, remembering how cold the desert was in the early morning. She downed a can of Spunky Monkey and was out the door less than 15 minutes after she received the call.

The cool air stung at V's nostrils as she breathed in the fragrance of the desert, she loved riding through the Badlands; it reminded her of better days, when she still had a family. The sun was beginning to crest over the mountains and she knew she was going to regret the sweater in an hour or two. Even with the tune up, the low rumble of the Arch's engine clearly announced her arrival at the camp, and she was thankful that everybody seemed to be up and around, buzzing with an anxious energy that mirrored this morning’s call.

Panam was waiting for her when she pulled up, leaning against her beast of a Thorn and chewing on her thumbnail. Her posture is more relaxed than in her call, but there was still a tension in her shoulders. “Thanks, V. You don't know what this means.”

“You'd do the same for me. What happened?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing out her frustration. “Wraiths took Saul. The brickbrain ventured out with a small patrol and never came back.” A dark cloud passed over her features, painting her in a strangely grim light.

“Wraiths? You're sure?” V had slipped into her professional demeanor unbidden, muscles tensing ready to strike without hesitation. This had just become a job, despite her personal feelings for those involved she knew what to do: assess the situation, formulate a plan, secure the asset. She had done it a million times and would likely do it a million more, but this time she had skin in the game.

“We've been watching their camp. We know they're holding prisoners, including someone important.” Her eyes fell to the ground, brows pulled tight. “I... I thought I could count on you.”

V raised her hand to Panam's shoulder, her own face earnest and kind. “We're chooms. You can count on me.”

She smiled, not quite reaching her eyes. “Careful or I'll start believing that. You won't be able to get rid of me.”

V winked returning the smile. “Think I'll survive.”

“Whatever gratitude you may feel, I'm sure you won't turn down the best sniper rifle on the West Coast. A Techtonika Grad. You saw it in action already. That and the gratitude of the 'Caldos.”

“Panam, I don't-”

She cut V off, holding a finger in the air. “Don't wanna hear it. Mitch insisted and it would break his heart if you turned down his very generous gift.” There was a look in her eye, one of calculated mischief, the gears in her head grinding out a plan that had nothing to do with Saul's rescue. V regretted admitting her interest in Mitch, but she was thankful that her appearance had at least put Panam at ease enough to scheme.

_ Pretty sure that's not the gift you had in mind. _

V mentally cringed at Johnny's teasing.  _ Fuck off. _

He glitched into existence, falling into step at her side as Panam led them back to the equipment tent.  _ No, you need my help. _

_ With what, asshole?  _ Johnny meant well, but she was not rested enough to deal with his bullshit amicably.

_ Your seduction technique. _ He said it plainly, matter-of-factly and if she wouldn't have looked insane, she'd have decked him.

_ My seduction technique is fine, thanks. Would be better if I didn't have a parasite eating at my brain.  _ She could feel her fists and jaw clenching.

_ Look, 'm just trying to help. I know guys like Mitch, he won't take the initiative. You gotta flirt, be clear that you're interested or you ain't gonna get anywhere with 'im. _

Loath as she was to admit it, Johnny had a point. Mitch didn't strike her as the forward type, not that subtlety would fly over his head, but he was more likely to think that she was just being kind.

Panam pulled her from her thoughts as they reached the tent. “Hey Mitch, brought ya a mechanic!”

“Good to see ya, V! You work on cars?” Mitch smiled brightly, waving his cybernetic arm in greeting. V couldn't help the way her knees went weak when the rising sun hit those blue eyes of his.

“Practically the only mechanic the Bakkers had ‘til they joined Snake Nation.”

_ “ _ Mitch needs to work on the drone so we can do some recon before going in, and the rest of the 'Caldos are too busy picking up the slack of our missing leader. Think you can get her up and running?”

V leaned over the engine, assessing the damage—she'd certainly seen worse. “Shouldn't be too hard. Long as you got the parts.”

Panam grinned, hands on her hips. “Mitch can walk you through the fine details. You two have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do.” She winked over her shoulder as she sauntered away.

Johnny glitched in for a moment, eyes glued to the sway of Panam's hips.  _ What I wouldn't do to- _

V cut him off quickly.  _ If you finish that sentence I swear to god I will pull the chip and kill us both. _

He glitched away with a shrug. She turned her attention to Mitch who was watching her with an intensity she couldn't quite place. “Ready to get to work?”

He smiled nervously, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Sure... She's uh.... She's a real beauty, huh?”

She was focused on the van, examining it with a shrug. “I mean, she's got nothin' on what the Bakkers’ had, but she'll do.”

Mitch gave her a bewildered look, his eyes darting to the entrance of the tent and the dots connected. “OH! Oh! oh. No, you thought I- I thought-” She tried to flail her way through an explanation, but the words could not find purchase upon her tongue.

Johnny glitched into view leaning against the van, a cigarette between his fingers and a smirk on his lips.  _ Ah. Idiots in love. _

Eventually V regained her composure though her cheeks were flushed with heat that had nothing to do with the desert sun. “I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about the van. Panam is a beautiful woman, yes. She's my friend. That's all. I... Uh...”

She looked up at Mitch through her lashes to find his expression soft and sweet. His hand reached up to brush a few errant strands of hair away from her face. “You... Uh... You look pretty cute when you blush.” It made her heart flutter, caught looking into the clearest blue she had ever seen. But her faithful companion Johnny wouldn't dare let her get lost in the moment.

_ Gross. _

The moment faded and they got to work: Mitch walked her through the needed repairs and where all the parts and tools were located, before moving to a table in the corner to fiddle with the drone. V threw her hair into a haphazard bun and got started. Mirroring her morning ritual, she flitted to and fro gathering supplies, fixing any salvageable parts, and replacing those that were beyond repair. And as predicted, the sweater quickly became a nuisance, stained heavily with sweat and oil.

To Mitch's surprise she unfastened the buckles of her overalls and pulled the sweater over her head, revealing a sports bra, her lean muscles, and a plethora of tattoos. His eyes followed her movements, gaze sweeping over the expanse of now-exposed skin hungrily. V smirked to herself, feeling the way his eyes followed her as she continued her work. She exaggerated certain movements, the way she bent over to pick up tools, the way she wiped away sweat from her neck, and the way she held a bottle to her lips when she took a sip of beer to cool her down. He was entranced.

Deciding to break the silence, she called to him. “Mitch, you've been staring at me for an hour. Do I have something on my face?”

His cheeks went red, flustered at being caught in the act. Radiating nervous energy, his organic hand rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sorry... I just- I didn't realize you had tattoos.”

V laughed, deep and joyous for the first time since she'd lost Jackie. “I just thought by the way you been staring, I assumed something was wrong. I've got more, but those're only for people who buy me dinner.” She winked at him. “You know, if you're curious.”

He stared at her in wide eyed disbelief. “I can't tell if you're joking.”

“'M not. But if you don't wanna see me naked that's your loss, I guess.” Mitch sputtered, at a loss for words and V snorted. “You look pretty cute when you're flustered.”

“You're liable to give an old man a heart attack, V.” Mitch lit a cigarette, taking a long drag.

She bent over, giving him a very clear view of her cleavage, and plucked it from his fingers, taking her own deep breath, exhaling slowly through her nostrils. Johnny glitched next to the van mirroring her actions with his own digital cigarette, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.  _ Christ, V. I told you to flirt with him, not try to fuck him in the equipment tent. _

V took another long drag before passing the cigarette back to him with a grin. “I think I'm finished with the van, you got that drone back online yet?”

_ “ _ Almost. Got-” His eyes lowered to her skin. “...distracted.”

_ “ _ Well, that means I got time for a shower.” She turned on her heels and saw her discarded sweater, a light bulb going off in her brain. Chewing at her bottom lip, she looked over her shoulder back at Mitch, “Hey, so that sweater is basically ruined. Do you have a shirt I could borrow?”

There was a clatter as his screwdriver dropped to the table, his face redder than it'd been all day. “In my tent—Panam can show you.”

_ “ _ Thanks, Mitchy.”

V sauntered away, very pleased with herself. It wasn't terribly subtle, but she seemed to be getting her point across.

_ Idiots in love. _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to all of the lovely enablers in the Lizzie's Bar discord server, you guys are the best. A very special thank you to @ScorpioInk who's fic inspired my love for Mitch and sparked the need to write this story <3


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